Battle School
by Erin7
Summary: Story about Erin, a headstrong, temperamental girl, and her passage through Battle School... based on an actual MOO character and her life....** chapter 6 is up!** Please read and review... I'll review something of yours in return!
1. Launch

Erin was the only girl in her launch. This might have bothered some girls, but Erin didn't mind. Granted, it did give the other kids a convenient scapegoat for their aggressions, but after Erin broke one boy's nose, they pretty much left her alone. She remembered the waterfall of thick, red blood and his anguished howls of pain with satisfaction. Andrews, the launch mom, scolded her, but she managed to escape unscathed, perhaps because the teachers noticed she was being targeted.  
  
After the broken nose incident, life became relatively uneventful. The other launchies continued to pick on her, but as their primary objectives became to avoid injury, the tormenting turned subtle. Little things like trying to trip her in the barracks, or simple verbal abuse. Erin ignored them as best she could, but other incidents did occur, although few were as serious as the broken nose.  
  
Erin threw herself wholeheartedly into her classes, delighted to find that posed of them actually posed something of an intellectual challenge. The Battle Room too was an object of great fascination to Erin. She took great pleasure at the feeling of weightlessness, and in the fact that there, it didn't matter that she was the smallest, scrawniest kid in the launch. Actually, her size gave her an agility that was a definite advantage. Although her aim was nothing spectacular, it was very solid, and her shots went home more consistently than those of her launchmates. In speed, she was slightly lacking, for she had not the leg muscle to push off hard enough to gain a speed much above average. But she worked hard in the Gym in all her spare time, running endless laps around the track. The younger children were not allowed to use the weight machines. She sat alone in the Mess Hall and ate as quickly as she could. When she was finished, she dumped her tray and fled to the track to make use of the spare time.  
  
Erin still did not make any friends, as much through her own choices as from the ostracization of her peers. She embraced her isolation, and scorned the occasion advance of a launchmate who had drifted from the popular group and re-evaluated her worth as a friend. She was lonely sometimes, but her pride did not allow forgiveness, and so isolated she remained. She dug herself deeper into solitude, and clung to her grudges because she had nothing else to cling to.  
  
Erin occupied any time not spent on homework, exercise, or the Battle Room playing the fantasy game. It was an object of much fascination to her, particularly the Giant's Drink. Again and again she found herself there, just to see in which new, innovative way she would die. Some were frustrated by the game, but Erin was ambivalent. She knew it was rigged, and therefore did not care. What did a silly game matter to her? The Battle Room was the key.  
  
The older kids barely noticed her, and when they did, it was only to tell her to beat it or something equivalent. She only fought a soldier once --- a kid almost twice her size in a colorful jumpsuit very different from her own pale blue one --- and, naturally, lost. But she held out much longer than was expected of her, due to the darting her size and speed gave her, and to a dirty method of fighting she adopted and perfected. (blows to the groin, stomach, nose, and knees) After that, she seldom lost a fight.  
  
Erin did not miss home as most of the other launchies did. She did not cry the first night, nor allow herself any outward sign of weakness in front of the others. In truth, she really did not miss her home all that much. She missed her sister and parents a little bit, but it was never acutely. She never had any friends in school to leave behind, and so Battle School seemed like as good or bad a prison as the one she had come from. 


	2. Transfer

Twelve days following Erin's eighth birthday, she and her launchmates graduated from the rank of launchy to the next lowest position in the hierarchy of Battle School ----- soldier.  
  
After dinner, Erin returned to the barrack to discover a white slip of paper on her bunk. She picked it up and stared at it for a moment.  
  
1  
  
2 Transfer Orders  
  
Erin Dunn  
  
Reassigned:  
  
Phoenix Army  
  
2.1 Code white/gold/white  
  
Possessions transferred  
  
Briefly, Erin wondered what possessions they had transferred. She brought nothing with her from home, and she obviously would not be keeping her cyan launchy uniform. A shrug, and she folded the paper deftly in half, dangling her legs off the side of her top bunk and dropping to the barrack floor. She did not offer a backward glance as she ducked out into the hallway, and started to follow the white/gold-white lights along the floor. Padding softly down the corridor that led deeper and deeper into the soldiers' territory, Erin ignored the calls and jeers of the bored older kids who looked to taunting her for amusement. She slipped past one boy who tried to block her path, jaw set stubbornly.  
  
Erin knew the Phoenix Army Barrack for what it was as soon as she laid eyes upon it. The entrance was painted in the army colors; a magnificent Phoenix depicted above the doorway. Its beak was sharp and cruel, and its talons glittered dull silver ---- Erin did not know if this was due to a special kind of paint, or to tricks of the hallway's dim light. She inhaled deeply, and palmed the door open.  
  
The barrack seemed like a living thing; it hummed noisily with the chatter of its occupants. Only a short blond boy --- presumably the door- guard --- paid Erin any notice.  
  
"Whaddya want, pinprick?" came his amiable greeting.  
  
Erin lifted her chin and waved her slip in his direction. "Transferred," she replied, looking wary, as if she expected him to bite. I'll bite back.  
  
The boy only grinned. "Ah, a new victim for Alcar. I'm Heinn. Welcome to Phoenix Army, the best damn army on the station."  
  
To her surprise, Erin found that she liked Heinn. Perhaps this place all right, once you make it to an army... "Erin." she introduced herself, and followed the door-guard to her new bunk.  
  
Phoenix Army was commanded by Alcarinque, a tall Scandinavian lad with flaxen-blond hair and blue eyes. He had a cool, distant personality that discouraged familiarity from his soldiers, but he had their respect and their trust. Phoenix did not fare poorly in the standings under his ministrations, Erin too grew to respect Alcarinque, and fell hopelessly in love with the army. In all her years at Battle School, she never outgrew that love.  
  
Erin was put in Toon C, under the care of Cedion. She looked up to him from the very beginning, and C Toon had her devotion even after was no longer in it. He was a calm, oddly mature boy with a long braid that was redder than her own, and a twanging Irish accent. He called her lass, and strangely, she did not mind.  
  
But the best by far that happened to Erin in Phoenix Army was the discovery of Astra. Astra was transferred into the army shortly after Erin. She was slightly younger, and much more patient than Erin, who could be quite temperamental at times. They quickly became inseparable; Erin's red head was rarely seen without Astra's brown one, and Erin learned something she had never learned before: how to trust someone.  
  
Battles were a huge part of army life. They practiced constantly, spending hours working on formations, aim, and effective use of the stars. Savannah, the Toon B Leader, drilled them incessantly, counseling the soldiers to always be a moving target for the enemy, never staying in one place long enough to be frozen. Her first formal battle was against Condor Army, and they won an overwhelming victory within a matter of minutes. Erin was elated. She herself got two kills, and was not frozen, most likely due to the fact that the veteran soldiers were always targeted first. She accompanied four other Phoenix soldiers for the symbolic opening of Condor's gate.  
  
When not occupied with battles or practice, Erin was busy making both friends and enemies. After finding Astra, she became more open to the concept of friends, and she accumulated a small pool of soldiers to whom she was fiercely loyal. There were the Phoenixes: Astra, Cedion, Matrix, and a boy who called himself NoisySplatter, Edain and Elanius from Griffin Army and Dive from Condor. Cheyan, an embittered, morbid, and rather violent Griffin Toon Leader became something akin to an idol to Erin. They were never exactly friends, but Erin was deeply respectful of her. Cheyan tolerated the younger girl more than she did many, and Erin was satisfied.  
  
And then there were Erin's enemies. There was a Hound by the name of Aegean, a Ferret called Hef, and a Dragon named Sierra, who hated Astra. Anyone who hated Astra hated Erin, if simply by association, and Erin tended to make enemies just as easily without it. She developed an odd hatred of a Griffin named Spider when, working on aim in the Target Practice Room, he told her Matrix "wanted her." This in and of itself was a sin great enough for her to desire his blood, but when he hugged her, she was livid. Things might have gotten ugly --- icing out ugly --- had Cheyan, his Toon Leader, expressed an interest in Spider being functional for battles. Reluctantly, Erin kept her abuse of the verbal. Her hatred of Spider birthed the hatred of a Condor called Aumerle, when she sang a stupid rhyme involving the words 'Erin', 'Spider', and 'kissing'. But the biggest of Erin's enemies was another Griffin named Fiona. She had been a close friend of Astra's, until she decided she was above friendship and scarred the girl emotionally. Erin and Astra christened her 'Queen Bitch', and there were conflicts whenever the three met.  
  
Cedion, Cheyan, and a Griffin named Davan were all very close; they considered themselves siblings, although they were of no blood relation. From them, Erin learned the basics of Battle School: The climbing rope in the gym is evil, the citrus pudding is alive, and launchies are delicious with plum sauce. At times, Erin wondered if Cheyan really did eat launchies.  
  
Erin had been a Phoenix for only three months when an interesting battle altered army life for her greatly. They went up against Hound Army, a veteran of the scoreboards, and pulled a victory. They had been losing rather badly, and all of the army had been frozen but five --- the number needed to open the enemies gate and win. Erin and Astra were among the five, and there were no unfrozen experienced soldiers with much experience. Crouched behind the protection of a star, they began to carve up the ranks of the Hounds. Erin herself managed to freeze Myth, the commander, from an absurd distance, as well as a good deal of others, and Astra, too, took out more than her fair share. In the end, it was close, but Phoenix finished off the remainder of the Hounds and glided off victorious to the gates. Afterwards, Alcarinque engraved their names on the plaque in the barrack reserved for extraordinary soldiers, and Erin's heart glowed with pride. And when Astra received the position of Toon D Leader, all that Erin felt for her was happiness. Life was good. 


	3. Brig

Army life had slipped into a routine, comfortable order of things when the incident on the mats occurred. In the preceding weeks, Erin's mood had become more consistently dark and irritable, although she was not necessarily unhappy. Her temper quickened and she lost any patience she may have once had for both launchies and soldiers alike, more prone to snarl at and threaten strangers.  
  
Erin was cooling down from a run on the mats, when taunts from Fiona and a soldier called Macker turned to derogatory remarks about Astra. What little she had of patience fled, and a solid punch found its way to Fiona's face. Chaos ensued --- somehow a boy named Andikin and a launchy got involved, trying to stop the fight from happening and winning Erin's hatred as a result. Macker stayed off to the side for the most part, tossing in carefully thought out remarks designed to turn the fight into an even more enjoyable spectacle for her viewing pleasure. Her specialty was instigating fights between other people and then slipping off unnoticed when a staffer arrived to resolve the conflict. She did this so expertly that generally; the two manipulated parties had no idea that she was doing it. This time, however, the teacher who discovered them caught all three unaware. Much to her chagrin, Macker was confined to a cell in the brig along with Fiona and Erin.  
  
Erin's cell was a small, boxy room, painted a dull gray. It was empty, aside from a narrow cot covered by an orange blanket stained with god-knows- what. She was pacing restlessly when the swish of the opening door caught her attention. Cedion entered the cell, weary disappointment in his eyes. The disappointment stung her more than anger would, Erin reflected, bitterly. She refused admit to herself that she was sorry for what she did, much less to Ced, In the dark recesses of her mind, however, she did feel remorse,  
  
Cedion raised an eyebrow at Erin, "Well, this'd be an interesting development."  
  
Erin scowled sullenly as she saluted the older boy. He returned it, and then sighed. "Lass... for Alcar's information... how in tha blazes did ye manage ta get in here? Tha Dragon who was talkin' o' seein' a Phoenix dragged off this way didnae say."  
  
Erin grit her teeth, and offered shortly. "Fiona and Macker. Fight." The words seemed forced from her lips, as if she didn't want to say them.  
  
Cedion nodded. "Ah... an I donnae suppose you'd started it, would ye?"  
  
Erin resisted the urge to stare floorward, and lifted her chin defiantly. "Well, I was provoked, but I did throw the first punch." She added, indignantly, "Ced, they were saying things about Astra."  
  
Cedion sighed a second time. "Threw the first punch... somethin' I'd expect o' X-Com or Cypher... I'd thought you'd better self-control than that. Ah well, we all make mistakes, but on my word Alcar's not going to be happy 'bout this."  
  
Erin bit back a response about being sorry she was caught, and allowed the shame to flood her chest. "I'm sorry," she offered, simply.  
  
Cedion said, with a choking sort of kindness, "As I said, everyone makes mistakes... hopefully you'll nae be fer makin' tha same one again." He turned to go. "I'll be sure your teachers an' the army know you'll not be 'round for a bit."  
  
Erin grimaced involuntarily. With Fiona and Macker around, that could be difficult. "Thanks. I'm only here for 24 hours, though. Less now."  
  
Cedion said, "Good.. an Erin.. next time someone starts making insults..." He paused. "Just keep yer strikes ta words... let them take tha fall."  
  
Erin sighed and forced the words out. "Yes, sir."  
  
Cedion nodded. "See ya in a day or so."  
  
Erin watched him leave without another word, sat down on the floor. She leaned back against the wall and pulled her knees to her chest. She felt suddenly claustrophobic, like she wanted to run, endlessly. But there was not enough room in the cell for any running, so she sat and closed her eyes, letting her mind drift freely as her body was unable to do. 


	4. Of Sergeants and Backpacks

Erin was only in the brig for a day or two before being released. Not much changed afterwards, except that Erin was careful to keep her fighting verbal. The conflicts with Fiona stopped abruptly after Cheyan extracted a promise from Erin that ran somewhat along the lines of "You do not touch Fiona, you do not talk to Fiona, you do not look at Fiona, you do not think about Fiona". And so her contact with the Griffin ceased. She was, however not above enjoying it when Astra and Elanius smuggled food out of the Mess Hall and pelted it at Fi in the showers.  
  
Erin's time in the brig strengthened her friendship with Astra, probably due to the fact that she would not have ended up there had Fiona not called Astra a coward and worse. Surprisingly, Alcarinque did not say anything to Erin about it; perhaps he felt Cedion had dealt with it sufficiently, or just didn't care. Erin shrugged it off, and simply enjoyed the fact that she had one less person to endure a lecture from.  
  
Stories from respected peers began to sway Erin's mind to the opinion that the teachers were the cruel and often sadistic, but it was an experience of her own that led her to believe they were a manifest of evil.  
  
Davenport, the Sergeant who taught Physical Training, had once been a marine. He was something of a fitness freak, and was always looking for an opportunity to find an adequately challenging workout. His chance came one day on the track, and his victim was quite unsuspecting.  
  
"What happened to your hand, Ced?" Erin sat on one of the benches along the track, one leg tucked beneath her. A cup of water was cradled in her hands, which she sipped it.  
  
Cedion shook his head slightly, offering some weak excuse about an accident with the weight machines. Erin didn't believe it for a second; he was either leaving something out, or lying outright, but she knew that if Ced didn't want to tell her the truth, he wouldn't, and badgering him would be pointless.  
  
Erin wiped a layer of sweat from her brow and followed Cedion's gaze to the approaching Staffer. Salutes were exchanged, somewhat stiffly on the side of the students.  
  
"Ho, Sergeant," both Ced and Erin offered in unison.  
  
Davenport nodded, "Ho, soldiers. And what exactly are you two doing that is beneficial for your physical training?"  
  
Erin raised one eyebrow and brushed sweat-soaked tendrils of hair behind her ears, pointedly. "Finished, sir."  
  
Cedion nodded to his hand. "I'm ta be excused from physical training for a couple o' days, sir."  
  
The sergeant seemed to accept these answers, for he proceeded to go off on a long-winded tangent about his days as a marine and his daily run uphill with a backpack of large, heavy stones.  
  
Erin gave the appearance of attentive listening while her mind drifted off elsewhere, to more interesting thoughts, like when and who Alcar would appoint a new TL for Toon C (Ced had been promoted to B), and pondering what had really happened to Ced's hands.  
  
"...so now I give soldiers piggyback rides to simulate the weight. S'not perfect, but it is adequate. Would one of you oblige me?"  
  
Erin snapped out of her reverie. The Sergeant wanted to give her a piggyback ride? She took a step back, unconsciously, looking toward Cedion. A smirk crept across her face and her voice grew sweet. "You go right ahead, Ced."  
  
Cedion looked at his hand, bandages and all. "Well, sir, in tha case I'll have ta recommend Erin.. I've lost a bit o' me grip, lately, and gained a few bruises that'd make it a bit more than uncomfortable.  
  
Erin's smirk fled, replaced with an expression of horror. She gave Cedion a black look.  
  
Davenport shrugged. "Either of you will do, neither of you are anything like the weight I used to carry – but you'll do"  
  
Cedion grinned sympathetically at Erin. "Sorry lass,"  
  
Unable to think of an excuse, Erin sighed and clenched her fists. "Alright then, sir. Your... rucksack is ready."  
  
The sergeant stooped low enough for Erin to jump onto his back. She sprung onto him, barely making it. The joys of being short. She reflected that it was a worse punishment than being locked in the brig, and made a note to avoid Davenport whenever possible for future reference.  
  
Cedion excused himself and left the Gym, while Erin glared daggers at his retreating back.  
  
Erin endured this indignity in silence, glowering venomously at anyone who entered the Gym and gave them strange looks.  
  
When Davenport had finished submitting the sullen Phoenix girl to this degradation, he let her down and absolved her of her fitness training for the following day.  
  
Erin quickly scorned this offer, lifting her chin to inform the Sergeant haughtily, "I do it for myself, not you."  
  
Unfortunately, the Ex-Marine only expressed approval and thwarted Erin's attempted to ruffle him. She glared, saluted, and -- before he could give her another piggyback-ride -- fled. 


	5. Leadership

Erin fell off her bunk with a thump. "...he did /what/?"  
  
Astra's mouth twisted into an elated grin, "He promoted you. You're Toon Leader of C!"  
  
Erin gaped. "It's official. Alcar's lost his mind." She picked herself off the barracks floor and settled down on the bunk next to her friend, grinning. "Hey, you can assume temporary command."  
  
Astra giggled, scooting over and drawing her knees in to make room. "Seriously, Erin, congratulations. It's well deserved."  
  
Erin digested that, expression growing thoughtful as she pondered the newfound power... and responsibility. "I dunno, Astra. Just because I froze Myth doesn't necessarily mean I'm a good leader. Besides, it was just a stroke of luck. Hell, I can't even keep myself out of the brig. Great role model for my soldiers, huh?"  
  
"You'll be fine... you'll be with Ced, Davan, and me. Look Erin, Alcar wouldn't have chosen you if he didn't think you could do it."  
  
"Unless there wasn't anyone else," replied Erin, somewhat cynically. "Anyway," she lowered her voice so that only Astra could hear. "Maybe he would. I'm not sure he's all there anymore... when was the last time you saw leave his quarters for something other than practice and dinner? It's reclusive, and it worries me."  
  
Astra furrowed her brows, troubled. "I know," she returned, quietly. "But what can we do?" The D Toon Leader answered her own question. "We Toon Leaders will just have to pick up the slack. Fretting over morale isn't going to fix anything."  
  
Erin frowned. "As usual, you're right. But I don't bloody well have to like it."  
  
Astra let out a sigh. "Come on, let's head to the Mess Hall. I'm hungry, and the carrots in my locker are starting to look furry."  
  
Both soldiers were distracted from the army affairs, claimed by fits of sudden giggles. The old, rubbery carrots in question had been smuggled out of the mess hall some time back, and were always good for a spot of amusement in dire moments.  
  
Erin grinned, nodded, and dragged her armymate out into the hallways by the sleeve of her uniform. "Yes, sir..." a thoughtful pause, and a wicked grin. "..hey , you don't outrank me anymore. You know, this could be fun....." 


	6. Adjusting

The following day, Erin was settling into her new position of power over her former toon mates. Well, they still were her toon mates, but now they were her subordinates as well.  
  
"Ho, Erin," greeted a brown-haired boy casually as he sat down on her bunk next to her. "Congrats on the promotion. Figured you'd get it, 'tis well deserved."  
  
"Thanks, Noisy," Erin returned somewhat uneasily, acutely aware that he had been vying for the position himself.  
  
Noisy reached out and patted Erin on the shoulder affectionately. She tensed, but endured it patiently, resisting the urge to brush him off. Erin didn't like being touched. He grinned lopsidedly, and saluted her. "Good luck, sir." With that, he hopped off her bunk and was gone. Her stomach tied itself into guilty knots. Betrayer.  
  
Erin shook her head slowly. "You're a silly girl, Erin, with an overactive, skewed sense of honor," she told herself futilely, jumping off the bunk herself and trotting into the hallway. Perhaps she could outrun her irrational guilt.  
  
Erin lurched into a sprint down the corridor, letting her thoughts slip away in the mindless run.  
  
Stopping proved something of a difficulty, when she almost plunged into the Raven Army Commander emerging from her quarters.  
  
Raven was a new army, formed along with Raptor when Sergei of Griffin and Sunstar of Condor graduated, leaving their respective armies dissolved and tossed randomly into two new ones.  
  
Erin managed a salute for the older girl. "Cheyan. Congratulations."  
  
Cheyan returned the salute, raising brows slightly. "In a hurry, are we?" She nodded in recognition of the congratulations. "I suppose I should say the same to you."  
  
Erin shrugged in feigned ambivalence. "Thanks," she replied thoughtfully, noticing Cheyan hadn't /actually/ congratulated her. She nodded, and continued down the hall, this time at a slower pace.  
  
Erin adjusted her course from.. well, random wandering, to heading to the pool. A swim would be perfect to clear her head. Too much anxiety. Too much to think about. Alcar.. Noisy... Promotion... perhaps not all /that/ much, but Erin is a small girl, after all. 


End file.
